The effect she can have
by MajSinclair17
Summary: After Yamatai, Sam finds her feelings for Lara shifting into something more serious. Her mission is to confess everything, but she finds out she's not the only one who's been doing some thinking. Sam/Lara.


Let me start by saying I'm not a writer, not by a long shot. I just like to dabble into everything and one day I had an inspiration to write something about Lara and Sam ('cause, damn, they have potential). This is just a kinda pointless fluffy one-shot, but after everything Lara went through I think she deserves a little rest.

Unbeta'ed and english is not my first language - lame excuse - so if there are mistakes, typos, OOC characters or the verbs are messed up, it's all my fault. Enjoy.

* * *

Samantha Nishimura was freaking out.

The usually cool and confident young woman was pacing nervously outside her best friend's room at a private clinic in Tokyo, fidgeting with the zipper of her leather jacket. She was there on a mission, but apparently the world was hell bent on delaying her and leaving her to doubt the very reason she went there.

Minutes before, Sam had strode inside the building with a determined look on her face, rushing through the nurse station like a bulldozer marching amidst the personnel's complaints about being past visiting hours. She had ignored them and shouldered her way past the busy reception to the elevators. Sam had been so sure that nobody could stop her. Hell, she had been ready to karate-chop anyone who'd stand in her way.

But then, outside Lara's room, she had been blocked by an imposing woman with her arms crossed and a deep frown on her face. Sam had tried the "I am Nishimura's daughter" tactic only to be met by a string of not-so-gentle Japanese words ordering her to stay put and wait outside until Lara's medications were checked.

"Fuck." Sam had muttered in English as the nurse had shut the door leaving her no chance to reply.

Left alone in the sterile white hallway of the private clinic, Sam found herself thinking if this was such a great idea.

After the nightmare that was Yamatai, back in the real world without madmen and evil shamanistic Queen's soul trying to possess her body, she had spent hours trying to wrap her mind around everything that happened.

How Lara, her best friends since boarding school, had risked her life in every imaginable way, slashing violent foes and climbing burning palaces just to rescue her stupid ass. The remnants of those actions were etched on her friend's skin, the cuts and bruises adorning her body and face reminding Samantha of her own stupidity.

Sam had felt so guilty that she had tried her best to avoid looking at Lara during their trip on the cargo ship that was bringing them to Japan, even going as far as sharing a cabin with Reyes. The older woman and Jonah, of course, had noticed the sudden change in her behavior but had kept their mouth shut; occasionally casting confused glances at the usually touchy-feely girls whenever they were in the same room together and Sam kept Lara at arms distance. What they couldn't understand was that she just couldn't face her friend without feeling her eyes tear up for the remorse.

God, she had been so stupid and after the whole ordeal she had started to think if it had all been her fault. First, she had trusted Mathias, a psychopath hiding behind the mask of the Good Samaritan tending to her injury. Then, she had ignored Whitman's dangerous fascination with the Solarii. The doctor had always struck Sam as a self-centered douche-bag, but she had never thought of him as a man capable of such a back-stabbing betrayal towards the Endurance crew.

And, worst of all, every time Sam had found herself in trouble on the island, she had expected Lara to swoop in and save her like some damned damsel in distress.

It was in those moments, reminiscing alone on the rusty deck of the Margane, that she had realized maybe she liked being saved by her stubborn, courageous and loyal friend.

Sam cherished the fond memories of how gentle Lara felt when she had hugged her after the Queen released the crushing pull on her soul; the reassuring way Lara had held her and told her it was all okay, while a lone sun ray peeked through the stormy clouds and warmed them up.

And when Lara had carried her all the way down the mountain bridal-style, never faltering despite being tired and broken? God, Sam thought, it was all too _romantic_. The guys she usually went for were all nice abs, nice smile but the personality of a flower pot, just looking for a quick tumble. Never in her life had one of her loves done something like that for her.

She had found herself looking at her best friend under a different light during their trip back to Japan, noticing details that went previously unnoticed; like the way Lara's face would light up whenever she chuckled at some stupid joke told by the crewmen or how her features softened every time Jonah comforted her, and Sam had desperately wanted to be the one to make Lara happy just to see her like that.

It became clear as day to Sam, when she daydreamed about pinning Lara to a wall and kiss her every scars, that what she was feeling was not friendly admiration of her savior and longtime buddy but a romantic infatuation with her knight in shining armor, or better yet her knight in a ripped tank top.

Thinking about those things now that she was minutes away from stating her feelings made her feel scared but also exhilarated. It was a risk, Sam knew that: this sentiment she felt for Lara could jeopardize their friendship, but she couldn't go on with her life living in denial.

She had to muster up the courage, get in that room and tell Lara everything, consequences be damned. And maybe, just maybe, she could be able to steal the kiss she had long dreamed of.

_Now that's an encouraging thought._

Sam was staring at the white wall of the clinic with a dumb lovestruck expression on her face when the soft click of the door being opened brought her back to reality, the stream of thoughts in her mind interrupted by the nurse pushing a cart full of medical supplies into the hallway.

"Can I go in now, please?" Sam asked in Japanese, hands joined together like a prayer.

The woman examined her with an inquisitive gaze for a moment, and then cracked a sincere smile "Yes, you can."

Samantha squealed and pounced on the nurse, engulfing her in an unnecessary hug. She knew the stoic woman was a big softie inside. Well, she didn't before, but she'd sure hoped so.

"Thank you! Thank you, uhm..." Sam released the hold on the poor woman to read the name on the nurse's badge. "...Akiko!"

"But please, " the nurse started in an admonishing tone. "Be careful with your friend. Don't put strain on her, she's still recovering from the surgery and she needs to rest."

"Yeah, don't worry." Sam nodded as the woman began pushing the cart down the hallway.

She waited for the woman to disappear behind the corner before taking a deep breath, readying herself to enter the room.

_Here goes nothing. _

Sam knocked once but opened the door without waiting for a response from the other side.

"Hey, Lara, " She said as she walked in. "I see you're busy."

Sam couldn't help but laugh at the sight before her eyes: Lara was sitting on her bed, a tray of food on her lap and a plastic spoon in her mouth, hungrily eating what appeared to be yellow gelatin.

The British girl looked back at her like a deer caught in the headlight.

"Sam!" Lara, obviously taken off guard, covered her mouth with her hand as she swallowed a huge mouthful of the yellow dessert. "I'm sorry, it's just that after days of boring hospital food the nurse managed to smuggle something mildly edible in my room."

She moved the tray to the bedside table to make space and patted the side of her bed as a silent invitation.

"It's ok, sweetie. Plus I know you totally lack the manners of a proper British lady." Sam joked as approached the bed and sat on its edge. "How are you?"

Lara chuckled, shyly dipping her head. "I'm fine. Everything still hurts, but the stitches are healing nicely and there are no signs of infection. And as you've seen I'm back to eating solid food." Her tone became more serious."Ever since I was wheeled here, Doctor kept telling me how badly banged up and close to sepsis I was; now he says I'm recovering well. They could even release me in a couple of days." She stated matter-of-factly.

"How can you be so clinical, Lara?" Sam rebuked, twisting sideway to face her friend."You were a feverish, unconscious mess when we brought you here. You could have died and now you act like you had just a cold."

She saw Lara drop her head to avoid her gaze, using her hair to shield her face.

"I know." She said in a barely audible whisper.

_Damn, I made her feel bad. _

Sam placed a hand gently on the bandaged shoulder of her friend. "Look, I didn't mean to sound so harsh. It's just, I…We've all been so scared of losing you. We were finally safe and traveling home when you just…collapsed! You kept telling us you were fine but you were lying for god-knows-what reason." She breathed, remembering the way Lara suddenly fainted while walking down an aisle of the cargo ship.

"Can't you understand how hard it was to see you like that?"

Lara let out a deep sigh. "Sam, your body almost got possessed by the soul of an ancient queen." She retorted, placing her own hand upon Sam's. "Don't _you _think that was hard for me to see, too?"

Sam took a moment to enjoy the feeling of their touching hands. Lara's was calloused and scraped from all the climbing she'd done on Yamatai, but it was warm and its touch was tender.

_Fuck, _she thought, _even the smallest touch from her makes me feel like a blushing schoolgirl. _

She realized Lara was looking at her with a confused expression, probably wondering where her best friend's mind went. Sam tried to regain her composure as she removed her hand.

_I hope I wasn't drooling._

"Well, when you put in this way, I guess we're even." She concurred. "Besides, with a hot body like mine I can't blame bitchy old queen for wanting it."

Lara laughed heartily at Sam's cocky tone. "Typical Sam: not even shamanistic power could lower your self-esteem. It's a good thing this room is fairly big otherwise we wouldn't fit in this room with that big ego of yours."

Sam shrugged as she walked to the discarded food tray and poured herself a glass of water. Her throat had suddenly gone dry after their hand holding. "I was just trying to lighten the mood after that tense moment before." She took a sip of the cool liquid and continued with a more serious tone. "Sweetie, c'mon. Tell me what's wrong."

"Sam…" Lara groaned and sprawled herself on the bed.

"Hey, don't "Sam" me!" The Japanese girl threateningly pointed a finger at her friend. "We've known each other for years and I can sense when you're not telling me something."

Sam caught a glimpse of hesitation on Lara's face as she opened her mouth as if to say something but thought better of it.

"You know I won't go away 'til you spill everything." She pressed again.

Lara breathed heavily and sat up on her bed. "What I said earlier, about being scared for you on Yamatai?" She started uncertainly, looking at her for some sort of approval to continue.

"Go on," Sam smiled in encouragement, taking back her place on the right side of the bed. "You can tell me everything, you know that."

"I've been thinking. A lot." Lara continued. "Well, hooked on an IV and pumped full of antibiotics, that was pretty much the only thing I could do besides sleeping."

She stopped to chuckle dryly, and then fixed her gaze on the dark eyes of her Japanese friend. Sam could notice a fading pink scar on her brow and she couldn't help but wonder which of the almost-deadly encounters she had to face on the damned island had caused it.

"Anyway, I kept thinking: what if I'd failed? What if Mathias was able to complete the ritual?" Lara's voice held a hint of sadness.

"Don't think about this, Sweetie. Roth wouldn't want you to think like this." Sam placed a hand on her friend's forearm resting above the sheets, using her thumb to make comforting circles on her skin. "We survived, thanks to you. That's what matters."

"I know I shouldn't dwell on this." Lara shook her head, defeated. "I'm seeing a therapist and she said that, too."

"Really?" Sam asked with genuine curiosity. She wasn't aware Lara had been seeking for psychological help. Truthfully, she hadn't been very close to Lara during her stay at the clinic, not that it was entirely her fault: the first days her friend had been either in and out of surgery or heavily sedated and by the time she awoke Sam was still dealing with her feelings and her conscience, thus deciding to give Lara a little space while she thought matters through.

Lara nodded "Yes, she's helping me coming to terms with everything that happened. I don't know how I'm going to be able to repay your father for all this."

"Don't worry." She reassured the auburn-haired girl. "My father loves you! He would never ask for his money back."

Lara smiled sweetly, and then diverted her eyes to her own lap. She looked thoughtful for a second before speaking again.

"What I'm trying to say is: Roth died before he had the chance to say goodbye to Reyes, and Alex…he had a crush on me." She stopped to breathe deeply.

_You're so ingenuous when it comes to people, Lara. _Sam thought.

"That island made me realize life is too short to stay silent." Lara chuckled at her own clichéd expression, "I've come to a conclusion and I need to tell you something."

"Oh?" Sam stared at her with a puzzled look, stopping any movement she was making with her thumb. "This doesn't surprise me, actually," She added sarcastically, trying to hide her confusion. "The nerdy Lara Croft: always in her head, always thinking, reflecting, contemplating…"

Lara raised her hand in defeat. "Ok, ok, I get it. I am a geek."

She smiled again at her, but Sam could see she was clearly annoyed by her continuous interruptions and her hazel eyes held a hint of sorrow.

"I was scared for you on the island, because _you_ were the only reason that kept me going." She confessed suddenly, breaking the brief silence between them. " In the darkest moments, when I was starting to believe everything was lost, I'd think about Sam, my annoying, loud and beautiful American friend."

"What?!" Sam's voice raised an octave. She couldn't believe her ears. Was Lara really confessing she had feeling for her?

"I like you, Sam." answered Lara, as if reading her thoughts. "Always have, I guess. I was just too naïve to understand it was more than friendly admiration."

_Well, fuck, she beat me to my plan__._

They stood still for a minute, Sam facing her sideways from the edge of her bed, her hand on top of her friend's forearm while Lara looked like she wanted to bail out and run away in just her pajamas.

Sam really didn't know what to say. This revelation was everything she'd been dreaming about, and part of her yearned to get up and do the happy dance. On the other hand however, she was a little shell-shocked by the fact that Lara had been crushing on her for years and she didn't even notice. Sure, Lara had never seemed too interested in romance or the cute boys they met while traveling, but she always thought it was because of the British girl's shy and bookish personality.

_Guess you are not the only naïve girl here, Lara. _

"Oh, god, I ruined our friendship!" She heard the London-accented voice of her friend cry out all of a sudden. "I-I know this is sudden and strange and you are straight and…"

Lara stopped her stuttering as she laid her head on the pillow to look up at the ceiling. "Bloody hell!"

Sam had never seen the other girl so flustered. It was kind of endearing, in a sadistic way, to witness the always so serious Lara getting so insecure, especially over something romantic.

She looked at the archeologist who was still avoiding her eyes, clearly embarrassed by the whole situation. Sam decided that maybe it was time to put her out of her misery and come clean. She grasped her warm hand, the gesture earning her a perplexed glance.

"Sweetie, I'm not mad at you." she started sincerely, but Lara barged in. "Really? You are not disgusted or-"

"Lara-" Sam shook her head, trying to no avail to stop her rambling.

"I'd understand if you-" The British girl continued her nervous speech, gesturing wildly with her hands.

Sam leaned over and covered Lara's mouth with her hand, effectively halting her.

They looked at each other for a moment, both wide-eyed for the sudden proximity. Sam studied her friend's face and found that even with the scars and scrapes Lara still held her girl-next-door look that she loved so much.

_Who am I kidding? She looks like some badass sexy action-movie heroine. _She thought dreamily.

Sam dropped her hand, the skin still warm from Lara's breath, and placed it near the other girl's left hip, putting extra caution in avoiding her still healing wound. She was done playing dumb and probably if she didn't do anything soon Lara's brain would explode.

Lara watched her with confusion clear in her hazel eyes and opened her mouth to speak again.

"Sweetie," interrupted Sam as she slowly leaned in to cup Lara's cheek with her free hand. "Shut up."

She watched Lara through hooded eyes and brought her face forward until their lips were just a whisper away, waiting for the other girl to take the last step.

When she did so and their lips finally touched, they both sighed in content. Their kiss was insecure and with no pressure, but to Sam it still felt like the most right thing in the world. She thought about the boring cliché of finding the missing pieces to an unfinished puzzle, only now she really understood its meaning, like everything clicked into place.

It was a gesture long overdue, an evolution of their friendship that was bound to happen and Sam regret not having done anything about it before Yamatai.

She suddenly felt Lara's hands on her body, one placed on her back and the other raising to her neck to push their faces even closer.

Sam obeyed the silent order and deepened the kiss, her tongue tracing the other girl's lips - chapped, yet the softest she'd ever kissed - before slipping in to taste her.

Lara's mouth still held a hint of the zesty-flavored dessert she was devouring before and Sam broke the kiss to chuckle.

"What's so funny?" she was asked by a panting voice.

"It's nothing," Sam replied before leaning forward to peck her again on the lips. "Don't you worry your pretty head about it, geek."

They went silent for a while, their forehead resting together and their heavy breath mingling.

It was Lara who brought them back to reality by clearing her throat. "So," she started unsure. "Was that kiss for real or was it just a method to shut me up?"

Sam smirked. "It worked, didn't it?" Lara crossed her arms and frowned at her: she wasn't very amused.

"I'm serious, Sam."

"Fuck, my arm went numb." Sam became aware of her own position: she was twisted sideways with her right arm supporting much of her weight. It made kissing Lara a little awkward, but now it was plain painful.

"Scoot over, will ya?" She sat up and gestured to the bed. It was big enough to fit them both, but they'd still have to cuddle up.

_Not that I mind, _she thought.

Lara huffed and shifted more to the left side as Sam lay down to the other side. "Sorry, my side was killing me."

The archeologist snorted. "Tell me about it."

"I like you too, Lara." She blurted out after a minute of staring uncomfortably at her ankle boots. The nurse would be so pissed if she saw her with her shoes on the bed." I wanted to tell you with words, but that kiss was a hell of a better way to reveal my feelings."

Lara turned to face her, clearly not believing her ears. "You are _so _mean! Why didn't you say anything?" she exclaimed faking irritation. "I was ready to jump out of the window before!"

Sam laughed; remembering how worked up her friend had been before. "I apologize, m'lady." she joked, mimicking an awfully posh British accent.

"I forgive you, but just because you are cute." The archeologist kissed her cheek before moving up a little and wrapping her right arm around Sam's shoulders bringing them even closer to each other.

"What happens now?" she asked wistfully, yet completely relaxed in their embrace. Sam could understand her uncertainty: they had acknowledged their mutual attraction and shared a nice kiss - more than nice, she corrected herself - but this situation was still an unknown that could either strengthen their relationship or break them up forever. Nevertheless, she felt the need to try and make it work, especially after their close encounters with death. She'll be damned if she let the opportunity to be with Lara fade again.

"Now we get you out of this clinic, go back to London and make everyone jealous." She jokingly answered smiling up at Lara who just chuckled. "What? Have you seen _us_? We're like, totally hot together! And Jonah and Reyes are so gonna flip out."

Satisfied her attempt at lighten up the mood had worked; Sam took Lara's hand and squeezed it. "You know I'm kidding right? We'll go as slow as we want, but I really want to be with you."

Lara's chuckling died down and Sam felt her chest expand to take a deep breath. "OK, OK," She bent a little to kiss dark brown hair. "But when we go out for our second date, you're paying."

"Second date?"

Lara nodded as she went to grab the remote control to switch on the TV. "I think rescuing you from a certifiable cult leader and a mythological Sun Queen qualifies as a first date." She answered half-seriously while continuing to surf through the channels.

Sam had to snort at the reply. "Fair point."

They drifted into a comfortable quietness, a random Japanese anime on TV the only source of sound in the room.

"Stay with me, tonight?" Lara asked with a sleepy voice after a while. When Sam looked up from her position on the other's girl shoulder she saw her fighting to stay awake, her eyes already half-closed.

Sam knew she was overstaying her welcome and the nurse could be back any minute to drag her off but she didn't care: all she cared about for now was how Lara's strong and steady heartbeat echoing in her ears made her forget about mysterious islands and crazed castaways.

She didn't reply, instead she kissed Lara's lips and wrapped her arms tighter around her chest before closing her own eyes as they fell asleep together.


End file.
